Help for non-English speakers
If you need help to understand this policy, please contact Donald Eddington, Principal. Non-English speakers can also access Google translate at the bottom of this web page.
As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at William Ruthven Primary School, we welcome and encourage your feedback. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions in relation to our child safe policies and practices, please contact the Principal, Donald Eddington via email, donald.eddington@education.vic.gov.au.
School
William Ruthven Primary School
Responsiblity
Gemma Albress, Wellbeing Leader
Endorsed:
Endorsed by:
Donald Eddington, Principal
Next review:
File location:
School website
Child Safe Standard 1 – Aboriginal cultural safety
Child Safe Standard 2 – School leadership, governance and culture
Child Safe Standard 3 – Children are safe, informed and actively participate
Child Safe Standard 4 – Family engagement
Child Safe Standard 5 – Equity and diverse needs
Child Safe Standard 6 – Suitable staff and volunteers
Child Safe Standard 7 – Complaints processes
Child Safe Standard 8 – Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness
Child Safe Standard 9 – Physical and online environments
Child Safe Standard 10 – Review of child safety practices
Child Safe Standard 11 – Implementation of child safety practices
RISK TITLE AND DESCRIPTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
Causes of the child safety risk
ASSESSMENT
Consequences if the child safety risk happens
EXISTING CHILD SAFETY AND WELLBEING CONTROLS
CONTROLS ASSESSMENT
NEW CONTROLS
New controls to mitigate the child safety risk further
BY WHEN
Families and community involvement
Description:
There is a risk that families and communities are not informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Risk type:
Organisational
Unwelcoming staff.
Lack of appreciation for the value of community consultation and engagement.
The school does not offer information to families and communities or avenues to contribute to policies and decisions relating to child safety and wellbeing.
Lack of staff training, culture or willingness to engage families and communities.
Child safety and wellbeing practices without input from families may result in practices that do not cover all the diverse needs of students, resulting in a risk that students do not feel safe or able to actively participate in school life (see Child Safe Standard 1 and 3)
Families and communities not engaged in child safety at the school are less likely to be able to support the school to reduce risk by keeping an eye out for unsafe behaviours and raising concerns.
Families cannot help students identify abuse.
Families do not support students who want to make a complaint.
If families lack awareness about child safety including risks of child abuse, children may be more vulnerable to being groomed by perpetrators seeking to obtain their trust.
Physical and psychological harm as a result of child abuse.
Our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy outlines the controls in place to engage our families and is implemented.
All our child safety and wellbeing policies and procedures are publicly available and promoted in the school community
Our families and the school community are invited to have a say in the development and review of our child safety and wellbeing policies and procedures through our school website and newsletters.
We conduct school open days and host community events to welcome families and the broader community.
We have created a welcoming environment at the school's reception so community members and families feel respected, included and safe to come onto school grounds.
We ask parents and carers about their children. This can be in formal settings like parent/teacher interviews, or during chance meetings at pick-up and drop-off.
We display the PROTECT poster in shared areas that are accessible to parents and the community.
We make child safety a standing item at School Council meetings.
We report on the outcomes of relevant reviews to staff and volunteers, community and families and students to show transparency and accountability.
We provide new enrolments with family welcome packs that include information about child safety, the school's complaints processes and how to raise concerns.
Provide parents and carers with information about children’s rights via newsletters.
Ask families and carers about their preferred methods of communication, including email, social media, meetings and workshops and use their responses to inform your communications approach.
Tolerable risk? Yes
